PM 45M keyway question

[MecGen]

You made the right choice in replacing these loose keys especially in this application. I’ve seen a few who have replaced the loose keys and bearings in the RF45 mills and that made it drastic difference in the noise of the machine especially when using large cutters. It should also help to drastically improve surface finish..

Funny thing is the mill was very quiet, freewheeling. I never got the chance to try it out an material. What is mind blowing is the amount of sand left in the mill from the manufacturer, packed everywhere. I had to take the head off and put it in the varsol tank, wire brush and flap wheel every square millimeter for hours. I found a broken snap ring and a set screw in the bottom of the case that came from the gear with the worst of the keyway looseness, probably vibrated out.
Very little wear on this machine, I got it out of a woodshop. Good thing.
Cheers

 

[MecGen]

@MecGen I didn't get to the thread in time... For a small mill like the RF 45, you should go with very soft keyways. I'm glad you got it fit well, and it works!

Glad you commented. I got the keyway stock through Fastenal, no spec given - Chinesium. When I was fitting it to the shaft, I thought to myself, "this is a soft key". Being a hobbiest, this machine will be used only a handful of times a year plus I have a variable speed controller, so shifting gears will be at a minimum.
Cheers